Page 92 - economic review

AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS64

Idamalayar Irrigation Project

2.100 The Idamalayar Irrigation Project is a diversion scheme intended to irrigate an extend of
14394 ha. of wet and dry lands and the Cultivable Command Area (C.C.A.) is 13209 ha. The work
was commenced in 1981 with an estimated cost of ` 17.85 crore. The latest estimate of the project
as per 2012 SOR is ` 750.00 crores and the cumulative expenditure as on March 2014 is ` 385.43
crores.

2.101 The works of 98.14 percent of main canal, 47.17 percent of low level canal, 36.85 percent of
link canal and 96.72 percent of RBMC have been completed so far. In view of the Government policy
to complete the long pending projects, the execution of the works needs to be arranged to the project
at an early phase of the plan period so as to close the project in the XIIth five year plan itself.

Banasurasagar Irrigation Project

2.102 The project was commenced in 1971 with an estimated cost of ` 8.00 crore to irrigate an area
of 2800 ha.( net) agriculture land for the second and third crops. Revised estimate of the project
based on 2010 SOR was ` 185.5 crores. The work of the Main canal of length 2.73 Km is completed
except from Ch. 1130 M to 1500 M. The work of both branch canals as well as the land acquisition
process of distributaries are in progress. Expenditure incurred up to March 2014 is ` 45.65 crore.

AIBP

2.103 The release of central assistance to Kerala under AIBP is very low compared to other states.
The total central assistance released by GOI for 28 states from 1996-97 to 2013-14 is ` 64905.57
crore. The central assistance received for Kerala from 1996-97 to 2013-14 is ` 179.27 crore which
accounts only 0.28 percent of the total release by GOI for all states. There has been a decreasing
trend in utilization during the last few years and release was received only up to 2010-11 and no
release was reported thereafter.

Flood Management Programme

2.104 Floods being a natural phenomena, total elimination or control of floods is neither practically
possible nor economically viable. Hence, flood management aims at providing a reasonable degree
of protection against flood damage at economic costs. India is highly vulnerable to floods and out
of the total geographical area of 329 mha, more than 40 mha is flood prone. The average annual
flood damage during the last 10 years (1996-2005) was ` 4745 crore as compared to `1805 crore,
the corresponding average for the last 53 years. In India, systematic planning for flood management
commenced with the Five Year Plans, particularly with the launching of National Programme of Flood
Management in 1954.

Kuttanad Package

2.105 The total outlay of the Kuttanad Package as per MSSRF report is ` 1840.40 crore. Out of this,
` 1517.90 crore is set apart for the Irrigation sector (82.5%). Projects worth ` 771.11 crore have been
sanctioned under Flood management programme. Central and State release comes to ` 164.32
crore. During 2013-14, there was no central release. The total amount utilized so far for the project is
` 144.50 crore. The percentage of expenditure based on the released amount is 87.93 %. The major
issues regarding the implementation of Kuttanad package is slow pace of progress, tender excess,
cost escalation etc. Time bound completion of the project is required to avail maximum assistance
from Government of India and to develop the Kuttanad wetland ecosystem.

Kerala State Planning Board